Six youths arrested for damaging cars, motorcycle
Six youths arrested for damaging cars, motorcycle
JAKARTA (JP): Two cars were damaged and a motorcycle was set
on fire at Mal Kelapa Gading shopping center in North Jakarta in
the early hours of Sunday, when a group of young men ran amok
after being warned by a mall security guard to stop racing their
motorbikes in the area.
According to a spokesman for the city police, Lt. Col. Edward
Aritonang, the local police arrested at least six of the youths
accused of damaging the cars belonging to the Sogo Kelapa Gading
department store and the motorcycle belonging to one of the
mall's security guards.
"The young men got angry because one of the security guards
warned them not to race their motorbikes on the street in front
of the mall," Aritonang said.
He said the incident happened at 1:30 a.m when dozens of
youths between the ages of 15 and 20 were asked by the security
guard, identified only as CZ Mopu, to stop racing on the nearby
street of Jl. Kelapa Gading Raya.
Armed with knives and machetes, the angry youths returned to
confront the guard, who sought safety in the mall when he
realized that he was outnumbered by the youths, Aritonang said.
Failing to find the security guard, the youths burned a
motorcycle in the mall's parking lot, he said.
After burning the motorcycle, the mob then smashed the windows
of two cars -- a Kijang van and a truck, he said.
The mall's other security guards immediately phoned the
police.
Aritonang said a troop of some 100 police officers deployed to
the shopping center managed to arrest six of the youths.
"Most of them were able to flee," Aritonang added.
The six arrested were identified as Priyono, M. Arafah, Mario
L., Herdinsyah alias Bodong, Nahrowi and Sigit.
The officers also seized three motorcycles and a number of
machetes from the youths, he said.
According to witnesses, the youths usually race their
motorbikes on the street in front of the mall every Saturday and
Sunday night.
The young men usually stop motorists from passing down the
street in order to conduct their races, the witnesses said.
Several other streets in the city have been chosen by
different groups of young men for racing their motorcycles and
cars.
The streets include Jl. Asia Afrika in South Jakarta and Jl.
Basuki Rachmat in East Jakarta.
The races are often bet on by both the racers as well as
onlookers.
Police raids conducted to halt the motorcycle races have not
proved successful in putting an end to the dangerous activities,
which have claimed a number of lives; mostly those of passersby
and passing motorists. (jun)